The War Effort

Important Mandate for National Defence (subtitles available in FR and EN) – Watch the video with its transcription (EN)

During the Second World War (1939-1945), the Canadian government requisitioned F-X Lachance’s shipyard as part of the war effort. F-X was forced to alter his boatbuilding techniques, and took on more than twenty new employees, mostly family members and locals from the village of Saint-Laurent.

Together they mass-produced some 2,000 boats (mainly whalers), as well as smaller rowboats, oars, splices and ammunition boxes. F-X had never worked such long days, but he was careful not to let his standards slip.

Rowboat produced for the Department of National Defence.

Canada’s finest rowboat builder

Inspectors and sailors alike agreed that his rowboats had no equal. F-X oversaw the work and cut most of the parts, which were then assembled by his team. His quality standards were so high that, a few years later, he was awarded a certificate naming him “Best Boat Builder in Canada” by the Governor General himself, Vincent Massey.

Governor General Vincent Massey presented F-X Lachance with his certificate on September 26th, 1958.